Paul Jeffrey Wallin

PRO

Paul Jeffrey Wallin

4.5
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 48 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Irvine, CA
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, Sex Crime, Federal Crime

18022 Cowan, STE 285, Irvine, CA

Virtual Consultation Available

Free Consultation

About Paul

Biography

The Wallin & Klarich Firm has over 40 years of experience helping clients in their time of legal need.

The Wallin & Klarich Firm has over 40 years of experience helping clients in their time of legal need.

The Wallin & Klarich Firm has over 40 years of experience helping clients in their time of legal need.

The Wallin & Klarich Firm has over 40 years of experience helping clients in their time of legal need.

Practice Areas

3

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 50%

48 years

50%
Sex Crime 30%

48 years

30%
Federal Crime 20%

48 years

20%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes

Hourly Rates

$ 200-400 per hour

Retainer

Always


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

Licenses

Licensed in California for 48 years

State: California

Acquired: 1977

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Wallin & Klarich, Criminal Defense Attorneys

18022 Cowan, STE 285, Irvine, CA, 92614

wklaw.com/paulj.htm

Wallin & Klarich A Law Corporation

225 W Hospitality Ln Suite 319, Suite 319, San Bernardino, CA, 92401

wklaw.com/paulj.htm

Wallin & Klarich A Law Corporation

7177 Brockton Avenue, Suite 339, Riverside, CA, 92506

wklaw.com/paulj.htm

Wallin & Klarich, Criminal Defense Attorneys

1161 Raymond Ave, Anaheim, CA, 92801

wklaw.com/paulj.htm

Wallin & Klarich, A Law Corporation

15437 Anacapa Road, Suite 12, Victorville, CA, 92392

wklaw.com/paulj.htm

Wallin & Klarich, A Law Corporation

21151 S. Western Ave, Suite 233, Torrance, CA, 90501

wklaw.com/paulj.htm

Wallin & Klarich, A Law Corporation

17592 Irvine Blvd, Tustin, CA, 92780

wklaw.com/paulj.htm

Wallin & Klarich, A Law Corporation

444 West C Street, Suite 410, San Diego, CA, 92101

wklaw.com/paulj.htm

Online Presence

Other places you can find Paul online.

Paul Jeffrey Wallin's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.5 /5.0

25 Client Reviews

Showing 1 - 2 of 2 reviews | Punctuality

Posted by Jay | February 03, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

This firm is dishonest, negligent, and only cares about taking your money!

DO NOT HIRE WALLIN & KLARICH – This firm is dishonest, negligent, and only cares about taking your money! I hired Wallin & Klarich in 2023, paying them $15,000 upfront under a flat-fee agreement that was supposed to cover all legal services necessary to take my case to trial and work toward my exo...neration. They assured me that there would be no additional charges beyond this payment. What I experienced instead was gross incompetence, complete lack of communication, and fraudulent billing practices. They Took My Money and Did Nothing for My Case After two years, they failed to secure a court date, despite repeated assurances that one was imminent. They failed to take any meaningful legal action to move my case forward. My emails and phone calls were ignored—I sent over 200 emails to their attorneys asking for updates, yet they barely responded. The little communication I received consisted of empty promises and stalling tactics, with no actual progress. Fraudulent Billing & Excessive Charges After years of inaction, I finally demanded a refund, since they had not provided the legal services I paid for. Instead of refunding my money, they suddenly produced a fraudulent bill, claiming that: They had used up my entire $15,000 retainer, despite failing to perform the work promised. I now owed them an additional $38,000, even though our original contract stated no extra charges beyond the flat fee. The billing statement was completely inflated and unjustified, full of: Repeated charges for brief emails and phone calls that had no impact on my case. Billing at attorney rates for simple administrative tasks, such as "updating the file." Excessive fees for ‘reviewing documents’ and ‘discussions’ that never resulted in legal action. Charges for court dates that never happened. Negligence and Lack of Accountability Despite being my attorneys, they never contacted a key witness in my case, even though I had repeatedly requested that they do so. When I was wrongfully jailed on a probation violation, my attorney failed to appear in court, forcing me to hire a new lawyer out-of-pocket. I spent nearly a month in custody unnecessarily because of their delays and incompetence. Their private investigator gave me misleading instructions, then accused me of harassment for following his advice! Lies and Stalling from Paul Wallin On January 14, 2025, attorney Paul Wallin responded to my demand for an accounting by saying: "I have forwarded your email to my partners. We will be preparing a billing and submit same to you when it is complete. I will be out of town for a few days. You may want to include my partners Mr. Lynn and Mr. Matthew Wallin and the following emails in my absence." This was a blatant lie. They continued to ignore my requests and refused to provide a breakdown of the charges until weeks later, when they suddenly produced their fraudulent $38,000 bill. Final Warning – Stay Away from This Firm Wallin & Klarich are not real defense attorneys—they are scammers who take your money and do nothing. Their dishonest billing, failure to communicate, and legal negligence have caused me financial and emotional distress. I am now pursuing formal complaints with the California State Bar Association and civil litigation to recover my funds and hold them accountable. DO NOT HIRE THIS LAW FIRM. They will take your money, ignore your case, and try to scam you out of even more. Find a real attorney who actually cares about their clients.

Posted by anonymous | October 05, 2011 | Family

Stay away from this unprofessional and unethical firm and attorney

I hired Wallin & Klarich for a subcategory under family law matter, because they were only a handful of firms listed under the subcategory I needed help with. Also they were near my home location. I did my homework of checking their reputation before hiring them. Avvo (avvo.com) had one negative f...eedback for which the firm have given a valid response. In the zeal to hire someone quick, I overlooked that negative feedback which was addressed by the firm. In two weeks, I realized I made the worst mistake of my life in buying the worst service. The firm has the most unprofessional people I have ever dealt with and crappiest attorneys who spoil the name of the profession. All they did was bill my retainer and never cared to do anything on behalf of my case. They didn't show up in court on time as they always book multiple clients on the same time and day and have some excuse. They assigned what we call as 'Interns' in other professions as attorney under one senior attorney. The assigned attorney's have no experience in arguing any reasonable cases, less so with complex cases like mine. All they do is get continuations if they cannot make it to the court on time and go with the the flow of the court. After the fact that I was cheated by this firm, I checked their Avvo feedback again and then it made sense, and found out that they have done the same to other prior unsuspecting clients. I fired them right away and I'm still in court trying to get back my retainer. They know how to manipulate the court system in the wrong ways, and once your money is in, there is no way out - either as a service or as a refund. Please check Paul Jeffrey Wallin and Klarich and their staff's rating in Avvo before even thinking about hiring them. Stay away and hire someone who is more reasonable and disciplined in at-least trying to work for their clients.

Paul Wallin

Replied last October 14, 2011

Over thirty years we have provided the highest quality legal representation to tens of thousands of clients. A tremendously high number provide us with testimonials at the end of their case thanking us for our legal assistance. The person who provided the review above does not provide us with any way to verify any of the statements they are making. We believe that this review is not from an actual client but likely from one of our competitors trying to damage our reputation. Our law firm did not achieve a 10.0 rating, a superb rating by AVVO by “chance” We have a superb rating because we provide our clients SUPERB legal service. Visit wklaw.com and read the hundreds of testimonials about the quality of our legal services or the many reviews here on AVVO to see that this one review is not a “real client” or a valid reflection on the quality of our legal services.

See All Client Reviews

Paul Jeffrey Wallin's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Paul
Travis Ashley Newton headshot
Travis Newton

Criminal defense lawyer | Aug 17

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Dan Tudor Danet headshot
Dan Danet

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 11

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"Paul Wallin is an outstanding attorney who is highly respected in the criminal defense field. His vast knowledge of the law and tenacious pursuit of each case are second to none. Any person facing criminal accusations would be fortunate to have Paul representing him or her."

Scott Fredrick Lemanski headshot
Scott Lemanski

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 07

Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer."

Ike Sherman headshot
Ike Sherman

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 08

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Dmitry Gorin headshot
Dmitry Gorin

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 30

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse attorney Paul Wallin. A respected member within the legal community."

Max M Alavi headshot
Max Alavi

Family lawyer | May 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Very competent and hard working."

Michael S. Waddington headshot
Michael Waddington

Family lawyer | May 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Paul. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."

Matthew N Selmer headshot
Matthew Selmer

Criminal defense lawyer | May 13

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer. Paul Wallin is a very knowledgeable and tenacious criminal defense attorney. Having worked with Mr. Wallin, I can say that the breadth of his knowledge of criminal law and his ability to aggressively and effectively represent his clients are second to none"

Jonathan M. Lynn headshot
Jonathan Lynn

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 11

Relationship: Co-worker

"Paul Wallin is Southern California’s premier criminal defense attorney. His knowledge of the criminal justice system and dedication to ensuring the best outcome for each client are unparalleled. I would highly recommend Paul to any friends or family members facing a criminal or family law issue."

Robert Lee Williams headshot
Robert Williams

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 04

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer. Paul Wallin is the best. His experience and knowledge make him not only a great mentor but an outstanding attorney. His ability to develop an implement a strategy in defending his clients enables him to get the ultimate results for his clients."

James Nelson Dicks headshot
James Dicks

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"This attorney works very hard for the client and keeps up with the law by attending legal seminars to assist them in this regard. I endorse this attorney."

Michael Shemtoub headshot
Michael Shemtoub

Appeals lawyer | Sep 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Your resume speaks for itself and I consider you a valuable member of the attorney community. I would recommend you to anyone and everyone who needs your services. I whole heartedly endorse this lawyer!"

Hong Kyu Lyu headshot
Hong Lyu

Criminal defense lawyer | May 13

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"Mr. Wallin is an enormous resource for legal knowledge and insight. His vast experience and no-nonsense approach has made him an effective advocate for his clients."

Christopher W Lee headshot
Christopher Lee

Unknown lawyer | May 06

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Wallin is an extraordinary advocate who has been practicing for three decades. His knowledge and experience in family law and criminal matters is second to none. Any person who hires Mr. Wallin quickly understands why he is the best. Mr. Wallin has a strong history of getting successful results for all his clients. Without a doubt, I highly recommend Mr. Wallin."

David Evan Wohl headshot
David Wohl

Criminal defense lawyer | May 02

Relationship: Co-worker

"Paul is a legendary criminal defense lawyer in Southern California. He is an unrelenting, uncompromising advocate who stops at nothing to get the very best results for all of his clients. Every attorney who works at Wallin & Klarich has learned a great deal from him. Every client who is represented by his firm can rest assured that they are getting the absolute best legal representation possible!"

Yvette Ochoa headshot
Yvette Ochoa

Family lawyer | May 02

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer. Paul Wallin's knowledge and experience in the family law system in California is superb. I would highly recommend him for any family law matter."

Anthony A Arzili headshot
Anthony Arzili

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 10

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"Paul is the dean of many lawyers in the OC and LA. I learned how to run a practice from him. His attention to detail and passion for his practice are rare."

Kenneth Henry Szeto headshot
Kenneth Szeto

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 21

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I would not hesitate to recommend Paul to friends and family for any criminal defense matter. His experience and knowledge in that area are unparalleled."

William W. Bruzzo headshot
William Bruzzo

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 16

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer. I worked for Paul Wallin for more then 6 years. Paul Wallin is one of the most successful criminal defense attorneys in Orange County history having garnered some 35 NOT GUILTY VERDICTS in a row plus many more NOT GUILTY verdicts. Everyone who works with Paul respects his intellect and even more then that his penchant for hard work. He will simply work opposing counsel to death. I would highly recommend this attorney for any criminal matter."

Robert Abiri headshot
Robert Abiri

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 02

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Having known Paul for years, I would run out of room here trying to describe all his great attributes and skills in the legal profession. Suffice it to say, he is one of the most elite criminal defense attorneys not only in California, but likely anywhere. His track record is superb and his history with clients and successful results speak for itself. I would not hesitate to refer anybody needing criminal defense help to Paul as it is not possible to secure better representation."

View All Endorsements
Michael David Laughlin headshot
Michael Laughlin

Unknown lawyer

Imran Syed headshot
Imran Syed

Criminal defense lawyer

Gregory Ignatius Balderrama headshot
Gregory Balderrama

Unknown lawyer

Samuel Matthew Camp headshot
Samuel Camp

Unknown lawyer

Cody James Hunt headshot
Cody Hunt

Criminal defense lawyer

Bradley Lawrence Sorrentino headshot
Bradley Sorrentino

Criminal defense lawyer

Dan Tudor Danet headshot
Dan Danet

Criminal defense lawyer

Justin Daniel Irish headshot
Justin Irish

Criminal defense lawyer

Brian Shui-Chun Yin headshot
Brian Yin

Criminal defense lawyer

Adam Jackson headshot
Adam Jackson

Criminal defense lawyer

Matthew N Selmer headshot
Matthew Selmer

Criminal defense lawyer

Nicholas Anthony Martell headshot
Nicholas Martell

Criminal defense lawyer

Robert Lee Williams headshot
Robert Williams

Family lawyer

Eric Andrew Jones headshot
Eric Jones

Criminal defense lawyer

Jonathan M. Lynn headshot
Jonathan Lynn

Criminal defense lawyer

Kenneth Alan Wilhelm headshot
Kenneth Wilhelm

Personal injury lawyer

Shaffer Timothy Cormell headshot
Shaffer Cormell

Criminal defense lawyer

Rastin Ashtiani headshot
Rastin Ashtiani

Criminal defense lawyer

Christopher W Lee headshot
Christopher Lee

Debt and lending agreements lawyer

Yvette Ochoa headshot
Yvette Ochoa

Family lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2021

Top-Rated Lawyer Award (10.0 rating), Avvo

2016

AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2015

AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2014

AV Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell

2014

AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2009

TOP FIVE CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS IN ORANGE COUNTY 2009, OC Metro Magazine

1998

Extraordinary Writs Award, Juvenile Courts Bar Association

1984

85 To Watch In ' 85, The O.C. Register Accent Section

Work Experience

1981 - Present

Senior Partner, Wallin & Klarich A Law Corporation

1986 - 1987

Past Chairman Criminal Law Section, Orange County Bar Association

Associations

2010 - Present

Orange County Criminal Defense Bar Association

Member

2009 - Present

State Bar of California, Criminal Law Section

Member

1984 - Present

State Bar of California

Associate Member

1990 - 2007

Orange County Bar Association

Fee Arbitrator

1984 - 1985

Criminal Law Section of Orange County Bar Association

Former Chair

Sample of Legal Cases

Arnold A.

The molest charges against the defendant were drop

See More Legal Cases

Education

1981

Pepperdine University School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1974

University of California - Los Angeles

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

2014

Risk Management - Legal Defense

Knowing Your Legal Rights

2010

Child Molestation Mock Trial

Child Molestation

2006

University of California Irvine

Advanced Legal Procedure, 2006

1995

West Orange County Bar Association

"Overview of Child Molest Defense"

1993

Victims of Child Abuse Laws

"What Your Lawyer Should Be Doing to Defend you in Cases Involving Allegations of Sexual Abuse"

1990

Tenth Annual Team Approach to Pupil Personnel Services Workshop Series held in the City of Industry

"How to Avoid Being Falsely Accused of Crimes."

1989

Pre-School Association of California Conference

Education

1989

Orange Unified School District Meeting

"Teachers and the Law"

1987

Keynote Speaker: New York State Teachers Legal Training Seminar

“The Defense of Professionals accused of Sexual Misconduct.”

1986

Keynote Speaker: National Center for Prosedcution of Child Abuse

"Systems Failures, Consequences and Solutions."

1984

Group Legal Services Convention

Criminal Defense

1982

California State University Fullerton

"Sex, Society and the Law"

1980

Alternatives to Sexual Abuse

“Defending the Accused Sexual Offender: Fighting for Balanced Treatment in the Courtroom.”

Publications

Languages

Spanish

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution